Josh Gad: Shutdown of 'Shrunk' production was frustrating

Actor Josh Gad promised "one hell of a ride" with the upcoming sequel of the 1989 blockbuster "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", saying that it is frustrating that the film's production has been shut down amid the ongoing virus crisis.

The sequel was among the many Hollywood productions that were suspended after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Gad is optimistic that work will resume on the film soon.

"It's a frustrating thing because obviously, production is shut down. But I'm very hopeful that our film, which was already deep in pre-production, gets back to it very soon. And with the amazing Joe Johnston returning to the director's chair, I would say get ready. It's gonna be one hell of a ride," Gad said.

Johnston directed the first movie of the hit franchise, and is returning to make the sequel titled "Shrunk" with Todd Rosenberg writing the script.

With the sequel, Rick Moranis is also leaving behind his decades-long hiatus to reprise his much-loved character of Wayne Szalinski, an inventor who accidentally shrinks his and his next-door neighbour's children leading to a thrilling adventure.

"'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' was such an influential film to me while growing up. About two years ago I went to Disney and I said, 'There's a title that I would love to do here and would love to be involved from the ground up'. So I teamed up with my collaborator, David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, who worked with me during ''Beauty and the Beast'. And I said, let's do this," Gad said while opening up about the much-talked about sequel.

However, Gad had one mandate before diving into the project.

"My mandate was that we can only do it if we can get Rick out of retirement. So I basically spent the better part of a year begging and pleading with Rick along with my partners to come and create magic again. The day he said yes was one of the great days of my life creatively," Gad said.

Gad, who has made a name in Hollywood as an actor, comedian and singer, says "Shrunk" is a "true sequel" to the original.

"It's an incredible script. It's a true sequel to the original film and one that sees me as a grown Nick Szalinski, Wayne's son, having to confront the whole new obstacle that calls upon our family's legacy of unexpectedly shrinking things that we wish we hadn't," Gad said while teasing the plot of the new part.

Meanwhile, Gad is currently seen in "Artemis Fowl", which got a digital premiere instead of a theatrical release amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The film streaming on Disney+ Hotstar brings alive the world of the book by Eoin Colfer. It narrates the story of a 12-year-old genius, Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, as he goes on a mission to save his father who has been kidnapped.

( With inputs from IANS )